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She Saved My Daughter’s Life

“Hello , is this Christine? Christine you need to come over quickly, your daughter is VERY sick…”

I still remember those words. What every mum dreads to hear. It was my neighbor and workmate on the line.

“Where…wha..?”

I froze. No I didn’t actually. There was not time to act all numb and shocked. I ran. Out of the office door and past the administration block oblivious of any puzzled stares that may have been directed at me by the crowd leaving their offices for lunch…

How time flies!

Last Sunday my last born, Kajune turned 5. You have no idea how proud and blessed that makes me feel. Seems like just the other day, when on June 12th 2006 at some minutes past 3 in the morning, I held a little bundle of joy in my arms for the first time. Our baby who owns the title ‘baby of the house’ has transformed right before our eyes from a fussy baby to a wonderful little girl.

Standing at the foot of the water slides at Village Market last Sunday, I could not believe it.

Today, Kajune and her one year elder sister were going up the water slides for the first time. As they joined their cousins, I expected Kajune to change her mind and come running back to me. But no. Kajune is the decisive type. When she decides to do something, she goes ahead and does it, come rain come thunder.

Kajune

Her father thinks she will make a good CEO one day.

So she took to the stairs. Higher and higher she climbed following her cousins and elder sister. Then she came sliding down shrieking happily and splashing water on my sister and I who stood albeit nervously at the foot of the water slides. Then she excitedly proceeded for yet another slide…..and so many others after that.

I was so moved. That’s my baby. That’s my baby who three years ago, was saved by my neighbor’s wife.

It was a Tuesday morning. I had left baby fine. She was her usual self. The previous night she had had a fever but I had given her something for the fever and thought that was all. Having recently moved to Limuru, I had taken to overdressing the children, in a bid to keep them away from pneumonia (ever since I have learnt to do it in moderation).

As usual I left the kids with a relative we were staying with and went to work. It was a minute before lunch hour that the call came. My neighbor sounded very alarmed. I got to the company clinic where I found him and an ambulance waiting for me with a driver already inside. He instructed me to go with the ambulance up to his house and I’d find my daughter with his wife. We had hardly got to my house when my neighbor’s wife met us running with my daughter in her arms. The ambulance driver stopped the car and I got out and ran towards her.

I was terrified. She was too. I wanted to scream.

“She was unconscious….when she was brought to me. I rubbed her back and she vomited….” , explained my neighbor as she handed my daughter to me. I looked at my baby. She was awake, but there was a blank look in her eyes.

“Asante..”, was all I could manage.

I jumped into the ambulance with the baby and the driver made a U-turn.

I will never forget how the ambulance driver drove using one hand and while placing another on my daughter’s forehead he said a prayer for her. He told me she was gonna be fine.

It was at the hospital that I learnt exactly what had happened. My daughter had had a bacterial infection that caused her fever to go up. Add onto that, that she was overdressed and so the fever shot up and she convulsed..When this happened, my relative under whose care I had left the kids, panicked and rushed to my neighbor, a stay-at home-mum. It was Mama Andy who did some first aid that helped kajune come to… before contacting her husband as she didn’t have my number.

As we celebrated Kajune’s Birthday last Sunday, I could not help but remember the faith and hopefulness of the ambulance driver and the kindness and courage (she could have freaked out and screamt instead of DOING something) of Mama Andy.

A few months after that incident, in the thick of the post election violence, Mama Andy once sought refuge in my house one afternoon. Being from the “enemy” tribe she was afraid for her life. That evening her husband sneaked her and their children away and they moved to Nairobi. We have lost touch since but I will always remember and pray for Mama Andy, the neighbor who saved my daughter’s life.

11 comments for “She Saved My Daughter’s Life”

What you went through is parent’s nightmare. My first daughter Tamia is now 7yrs but I remember when she was just about 1 yr, she had to be hospitalized for a number of day and my wife would just sit next to her most of the day crying! For men, we try to look all tough to be seen to be under control but we are also panicking on the inside! Good to note that Kajune shares the same birthday month with me!! Have a nice day!

Hie Mrs Mwiti ! thats a moving story n yes I agree its a parents worst nightmare! am a young mum to one myself and every time i remeember my baby gal-i work.i say a silent prayer for her. its been really great reading ur blog -i can relate Lucy

Wow! that’s a nice one.. thats the Angel that God sent to save your child…. I am a mother of two and I have been there before… one such incident was when I was called by my househelp while at work….a househelp who I will always cherish though she has move on to better grounds….. Emmanuel amepasuka kichwa and blood is oozing out in all directions…… Its a scary bit …what I would find myself doing at such times is repeating inwardly…DO NOT panic … may God bless these ‘angels’ that we can never find words or deeds to repay their goodness..

A frightening time for you, I can imagine. I am happy that your daughter recovered well. You are making an important point which is that nothing is more scary to a parent than the fear of losing a child. When we first had our kids it was often and widely believed that the first four years are the most critical in a child’s life. We had a neighbour who had a healthy and bright girl who was like any other normal 13 year old. One day she was taken ill with a rare type of meningitis and sadly she did not make it. It is good to give thanks to God for His mercies.

That’s a very touching story, and you do good to remember and give thanks even years down the road. Reminds me that angels are not necessarily glowing giant beings with wings…often they’re just your neighbour.